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What goes into an abstract?. Jackson Pollock. Pablo Picasso. What is the purpose?. What is an abstract?. Tells you everything you need to know to decide if you want to keep reading Condensed study Helps you in the research process (e.g. did someone else have my idea already?).
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What goes into an abstract? Jackson Pollock Pablo Picasso
What is the purpose? What is an abstract? • Tells you everything you need to know to decide if you want to keep reading • Condensed study • Helps you in the research process (e.g. did someone else have my idea already?) • Short paragraph that gives you a solid overview of a study/project • It is short and concise (thesis: max 400 words/min 200 words) • The first section in a paper Where do we find them? • Peer reviewed research paper • Thesis • Conferences/posters
What goes into an abstract? Jackson Pollock Pablo Picasso Brenner et al., 2017
Abstract Components Section 1. (1 sentence) Overview of problem, reference to broader question being investigated. Should be short and relatively interesting/punchy. Section 2. (1 sentence) Focused overview of what is unknown, providing context for the study and potentially including the aims or goals. Some abstracts will state the goal or hypothesis within this sentence. Section 3. (1-3 sentences) Methods you undertook to address the problem. This section should include an overview of the methods used, in enough detail to give the reader a general idea of what you did, but not in so much detail that the abstract becomes long and cumbersome. Including the sample size(s) and types of analyses used is appropriate in some cases, but it is usually inappropriate to quote numerical values from statistical tests, e.g. p values. Section 4. (2-4 sentences). General results and outcomes, stating the major, significant results. Section 5. (1-2 sentences). Most important discussion point.Section 6. (1 last sentence). Broader implications and importance ofresults – this should tie back in to the original question at the start of the abstract.
Big Picture Focused Overview Methods & Results Most important disc. Broader Implications *Only 156 words/5 sentences *Your abstract is max 400 words (min 200) so you can expand